Rotary pump



June 2, 1942. c. A. COMES ROTARY PUMP Filed Sept. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Charles JZ. Combs,

Mac/wan 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 C.,A. COMBS ROTARY PUMP Filed Sept. 15, 1941 Cf f June 2, 1942.

Patented June 2, 1942 UNiTED STATES PATENT QFFICE ROTARY PUMP Charles A. Combs, Kansas City, Mo.

Application September 15, 1941, Serial No. 416,915

(or. Nit-89) 8 Claims.

My invention relates to rotary pumps which are intended more particularly for circulating water or other liquid through the cooling systems of both stationary and automotive internal combustion engines, and an important object of the invention is the provision of a leakless pump in which the use of all kinds of packing for preventing leakage are dispensed with.

Another object is the provision of a pump hav ing a self-contained internal lubricating system for maintaining a free flow of lubricant to the bearings of the drive shaft that operates the pump impeller.

A further object is the provision of a vertically disposed bearing and drive shaft assembly having means for forcing a proper supply of lubricating oil to the uppermost bearing surface.

Another object is the provision of a pump in which all of the internal parts are so assembled that they can be simultaneously removed for inspection and repairs without draining the pump or disconnecting it from the cooling system, thereby saving time and avoiding wastage of any antifreeze solution that is mixed with the cooling water.

Another object is the provision of a self-corn tained pump which is relatively simple and of durable construction and can be readily assembled or disassembled without the use of special tools.

Other objects will hereinafter appear and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view showing the pump connected to the cooling system of an internal combustion engine.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a lubricant container.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the pump.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of part of the impeller drive shaft.

Referring in detail to the dilferent parts of the pump, 2 designates an upright housing open at its upper end and closed at its lower end with an integral bottom 4 to provide a leak-proof pump when the same is installed in the cooling system of an internal combustion engine. The

housing 2 has an inlet 6 spaced a short distance above the bottom 4 and an outlet El arranged adjacent to said bottom. Inlet 6 and outlet 8 are connected to the lower portion of a radiator A and the inlet pipe E of the water jacket of an internal combustion engine C by suitable means such, for instance as hose D and E, respectively, and the pump is secured to the forward portion of the engine by suitable brackets F.

Arranged concentrically within and extending vertically from the lower portion to a short distance above the housing 2 is a drive shaft l0 having a central bore l2 extending vertically there-through and closed at its lower threaded end by a cap-nut M. The upper end of shaft i6 is provided with a grooved pulley l6 adapted to be driven through a belt, not shown, from any suitable working part of the engine C, such, for instance, as the crank shaft, the fan shaft, or the generator shaft. The pulley i5 may be firmly secured to the shaft it by any appropriate means,

such, for instance, as a set-screw iii, a key 20, and nuts 22 and 2 3, which latter are threaded upon the upper end of the shaft to engage the upper surface of the pulley Hi.

The shaft I0 is mounted in an' iifriction bearings 25 located in the enlarged upper and lower ends of a stationary tubular bearing member 28, provided at its upper end with a peripheral flange 30 which rests upon the flanged upper end 32 of the housing 2. A dust-cap 36, having a central opening 38, cooperates with the flange 35} in closing most of the upper end of the housing 2, to the flange 32 of which they are removably secured by screws 34. The central opening 38 is surrounded by an upturned flange All which extends into an annular flange 42 depending from the under portion of the pulley it. A spacer sleeve 44, mounted on the upper portion of shaft Ill, extends from the upper bearing 26 to the under part of the pulley it to support the latter and the shaft.

Referring now more particularly to the lubricating system of the pump, 45 designates a cylindrical lubricant container located in the upper portion of the housing 2 and secured to shaft It) to rotate therewith through the medium of a collar -8 interposed between the lower bearing 26 and the bottom of the container, a set-screw 53 which secures said collar to the shaft, and a lock-pin 52 connecting the container and the collar it. The shaft If and collar 48 have registering ports 5! and 53, respectively, so that the lubricant container 46 may be supplied with a measured quantity of oil introduced through the upper end of bore l2. The level of the oil in the container 45 may be readily ascertained at any time by a removable measuring rod 54 threaded at its upper end in the upper end of bore l2. The measuring rod 54 is prevented from vibrating by its lower split and 55 which engages the surrounding wall of the bore.

The oil container at is provided internally with a stationary annular baffle 56 mounted upon the enlarged ends of the bearing member 28 and resting at its lower end upon a lock-ring 51 embracing the lower part of the bearing member 28. The baffle 56 has peripheral blades 55a which extend close to the inner surface of the oil container 46 to check any oil that might otherwise be carried to the top of the container by capillary attraction and centrifugal force when the pump is in operation. Any oil which may escape above the blades 56a is prevented from overflowing from the container by a series of rings 58, Bil, 62 and 64, closing the upper end of the space between the container 46 and the baffle 56. The rings 60 and 62 are preferably split rings which fit friction tight in the upper portion of the oil container and are interposed between the rings 58 and 64, which fit friction tight around the external upper portion of the baffle 56. The upper internal surface of the oil container E5 is slightly beveled as indicated at 6G to facilitate placement of the rings of! and 62, and also to eject by centrifugal force any moisture which might arise from water in housing 2, thereby preventing dilution of the oil in the container.

The container 46 is preferably supplied with lubricating oil to about one-fourth or one-fifth of its capacity to completely submerge the lower bearing 26 and when the pump is in operation a portion of the oil is carried to the upper bearing 26 by a spiral groove 61 formed in the periphery of shaft H3 and extending from the lower to the upper bearing 26. The oil passes through the upper bearing 2i; and returns to the container 46 through ports 65 in the upper part of the bearing member 28 and slots 65a in the baf- A portion of the oil also freely enters the lower bearing 26 through ports 68 in the enlarged lower part of the bearing member 23 The lower end of the oil container 45 has an integral tubular shaft 69 which fits snugly upon the drive shaft l and extends down to the capnut I4. The lower portion of the shaft 59 is equipped with an impeller comprising a hub it and upper and lower blades H and 72, respectively, which are located between the inlet 6 and the outlet 8 and adapted to circulate water through the cooling system. The hub H3 fits snugly upon shaft 69 and is .driven thereby through an intervening key M. The hub H3 is also clamped between the cap-nut i4 and a ring 16 fixed to the shaft 69.

In practice, the pump is installed in the cooling system with the upper end of the lubricant container 66 arranged a short distance above the water line in the core of the radiator A, so that when the pump is idle water will not rise high enough in the housing 2 to overflow into the lubricant container. When installed the only exterior opening in the pump will be the opening 38 in the dust-cap and since said opening is above the water line no leakage can occur. When the pump isin operation the impeller blades H and I2 draw the water downward from the inlet and expel it through the outlet 8, thereby keeping the water in circulation throughout the cooling system.

Wh desired all of the water may be drained from the pump on removal of a plug H threaded in the bottom of the housing 2. Preparatory to filling the cooling system with a fresh supply of water an aircock 18, threaded in the housing 2, is opened to permit the air to escape, so that inflow of water to the housing will not be reto advantage in miXing chemical solutions and for various other purposes.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is apparent that I have provided a pump having the advantages above pointed out and while I have shown a preferred form of the pump I reserve all rights to such other forms and modifications thereof as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A pump comprising an upright housing closed at its lower end and open at its upper end, said housing having an inlet and an outlet at its lower portion and a peripheral flange surrounding its upper end, a rotary impeller located in the lower portion of said housing, driving means for the impeller extending above the housing and including a pulley provided at its under portion with an annular flange, bearing means for the upper portion of said driving means provided with a peripheral flange which rests upon the housing flange and partially closes the open end of the housing, a dust cap resting upon the flange of the bearing means and provided with a central opening through which the upper portion of the driving means extends, said central opening being surrounded by an upturned flange which projects into the depending flange of the pulley, and threaded means for removably holding the dust cap and the flange of the bearing means in assembly with the flange of the housing.

2. A pump comprising an upright housing having an inlet and an outlet, a drive shaft arranged axially in the housing, means for driving the shaft, bearing means in the housing in which the drive shaft is mounted, a rotary lubricant container surrounding said bearing means and provided with a tubular shaft mounted on the drive shaft, an impeller secured upon said tubular shaft, and means through which the drive shaft drives the lubricant container.

3. In a pump, an upright housing, a lubricant container in 'said housing, a tubular bearing member in the lubricant container provided at its upper end with a peripheral flange whereby it is suspended from the housing, antifriction bearings in the upper and lower ends of said tubular bearing member, and a drive shaft extending through the tubular bearing member, and journaled in said antifriction bearings, said shaft having a spiral groove for forcing lubricant from the container through the upper antifriction bearing.

. 4. In a pump, an upright housing, a lubricant container in said housing, a tubular bearing member in the lubricant container provided at its upper end with a peripheral flange whereby it is suspended from the housing, said tubular bearing member having enlarged ends with ports extending therethrough for the passage of a lubricant, bearings in the upper and lower ends,

of said tubular bearing member, a drive shaft extending through the tubularbearing member and journaled in said bearings, said shaft having a spiral groove for forcing lubricant from the container through the upper bearing, and the ports in the upper end of the tubular bearing member.

5. In a pump, an upright housing, a rotary cylindrical oil container in the housing having an upper open end, a drive shaft connected to said lubricant container to actuate the same, bearing means for said drive shaft connected to the housing and extending down into the lubricant container, an annular baffle in the oil container secured to the bearing means and provided with peripheral elements for preventing oil from being carried to the upper end of the lubricant container by capillary attraction or centrifugal force, ring means secured in the upper portion of the oil container, and rings on the bafile one of which contacts the under surface and the other the upper surface of the ring means.

6. In a pump, an upright housing, a rotary lubricant container in the housing, a drive shaft extending axially through the lubricant container and the upper portion of the housing, said drive shaft having an axial bore and a transverse port through which latter lubricant may flow from said axial bore into the lubricant container, bearing means for the drive shaft, and a removable measuring rod adapted to close the upper end of the axial bore and extend down into the latter to measure the depth of the lubricant in the lubricant container.

'7. In a pump, an upright oil container comprising a lubricant chamber with a depending tubular shaft, a drive shaft extending through the lubricant chamber and the tubular shaft, means through which the drive shaft rotates the oil container, and an impeller secured upon the tubular shaft to rotate therewith.

8. In a pump, an upright oil container comprising a lubricant chamber with a depending tubular shaft, a drive shaft extending through the lubricant chamber and the tubular shaft provided with an axial bore communicating with the lubricant chamber, means through which the drive shaft rotates the oil container, an impeller having a hub mounted upon the tubular shaft, a ring secured to the tubular shaft, and a cap nut threaded upon the lower end of the drive shaft to close the axial bore and force the upper end of the impeller hub firmly against said ring.

CHARLES A. COMBS. 

